CANADIAN RESTAURANT ORDERED TO CLOSE FOR ACCEPTING DOG PHOTOS

WHILE COUNTRIES ARE ROLLING BACK COVID RESTRICTIONS, A RESTAURANT IN CANADA HAS BEEN ORDERED TO CLOSE FOR ACCEPTING DOG PHOTOS INSTEAD OF VACCINATION PROOF.

AS PART OF THE RESTRICTIONS EXEMPTION PROGRAM, ORGANIZATIONS ARE MANDATED TO REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION, NEGATIVE COVID TEST RESULTS, OR MEDICAL EXEMPTION FROM DOING SO. THEY ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO ENFORCE MASKING. 

BUT A JANUARY 11 HEALTH INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE GRANARY KITCHEN, A RESTAURANT IN RED DEER, ALBERTA, WAS NOT ADHERING TO THESE RULES.

ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES RECEIVED COMPLAINTS THAT RESTAURANT STAFF HAD ALLOWED CUSTOMERS TO DINE IN AFTER THEY SHOWED A PICTURE OF A DOG AND ID. IN BOTH INSTANCES, FACILITY STAFF USED A TABLET TO MAKE IT APPEAR AS IF THEY WERE SCANNING A QR CODE WHEN IN FACT THE STAFF MEMBER WAS PRESENTED WITH A PHOTOGRAPH OF A DOG,”

THE AHS ORDER READS. “THE STAFF MEMBER THEN PROCEEDED TO ASK THE TEST SHOPPER FOR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION AND OFFERED DINE-IN SERVICES.”

THE ORDER ASKED THE OWNERS TO CLOSE THE RESTAURANT, SUBMIT A WRITTEN COMMITMENT TO ALBERTA’S RESTRICTIONS EXEMPTION PROGRAM, AND TRAIN STAFF TO ASK FOR PROOF OF VACCINATION OR A NEGATIVE TEST.